CRICH PARISH

Ranks and Appointments in WW1

Official records of men who served were often a mixture of their rank and their appointment.

Some appointments were for a trade and others involved man-management.

RANKS:
(Royal) Army Service Corps – Ranks were driver or private
Cavalry/Yeomanry regiments – Ranks were trooper or private
Royal Artillery – Ranks were gunner or driver [never private]
Royal Engineers – Ranks were sapper, driver or pioneer [never private]

APPOINTMENTS: these included (there were many others)
signaller
farrier
shoeing smith
wheeler
rifleman
artificer
bugler
drummer
cyclist
lance corporal (in WW1 it was not a rank because it could be granted and taken away by the CO on a whim – rank couldn't be).

A lance corporal was a still a private but given an appointment which gave him authority over other privates.
A CSM or QMS whilst still a sergeant would be given authority over a plain and simple sergeant
An “acting” rank was also an appointment. So, an “acting sergeant” was technically ranked a corporal (but with extra authority).